Cannon Fodder – Chapter 86 – Tao-Tao Is So Naive

“Taste a little… orange juice.”

But this “orange juice” was not the ordinary kind.

Chi Xiaocheng knew that Su Tao was referring to that kind of orange juice, the crimson kind!

Her expression shifted from momentary shock to relief, then finally to ecstatic delight.

The smile that spread across Chi Xiaocheng’s face was filled with joy, like a child who had just been given the perfect toy.

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke: “R-Really, Tao-Tao?”

Seeing Chi Xiaocheng’s obsessive expression, Su Tao gulped nervously, fear creeping in.

But Xiaocheng looked so happy.

Suppressing her panic, Su Tao spoke carefully: “It’s true, but… I just want to try a little. And you have to listen to me, okay?”

“Mhm!”

Chi Xiaocheng nodded vigorously, swaying slightly in excitement.

Immediately, she reached under the blanket and pulled out a small knife, pressing it against a vein on her wrist.

Su Tao’s heart nearly stopped. “W-Wait, Xiaocheng!”

Chi Xiaocheng blinked at her, puzzled. “What’s wrong, Tao-Tao? Didn’t you want orange juice?”

Her casual tone made Su Tao break out in a cold sweat. “I told you, you have to listen to me. Otherwise, I won’t drink it.”

“Oh….”

Chi Xiaocheng’s eyes dulled slightly, her voice flattening. “So Tao-Tao doesn’t really want orange juice. You were lying to me….”

Reaԁ оn КαtReadіոgСαfе

“N-No!” Su Tao grabbed Chi Xiaocheng’s hand urgently, leaning closer. “I mean, I’ll be happy if you listen to me. If you don’t, I won’t be happy. That’s all. I’m not lying!”

But despite her reassurances, Chi Xiaocheng showed no signs of snapping out of it.

Su Tao panicked.

‘Why does Xiaocheng switch into yandere mode so suddenly?! There’s no warning at all!’

Then, she remembered. Dr. Cheng had mentioned a way to handle this.

Back then, she had asked: “What should I do if Xiaocheng starts slipping into that… yandere state?”

Dr. Cheng: “If she enters that state, something must have triggered her. A word, an action, even a glance. When she’s like that, it’s like her mind has shut itself off. It’s hard to pull her back.”

Dr. Cheng: “But as someone she loves, you can snap her out of it by kissing her deeply. Make her feel your affection. If her emotions shift, she won’t fully descend into that dark state.”

Su Tao: “W-What if that doesn’t work?”

Dr. Cheng: “Stop overthinking. If it really fails, just keep kissing her until she’s too weak to resist.”

Su Tao: “Is… is that really a legitimate treatment?”

Dr. Cheng: “What do you know? This is the ‘Kissing Therapy’!”

Thinking back to anime tropes, it did kind of make sense.

At the time, Su Tao hadn’t taken it seriously. But now… it seemed like the only option.

Gritting her teeth, Su Tao muttered, “Sorry, Xiaocheng….”

She cupped Chi Xiaocheng’s face and leaned in.

…

Rеaⅾ οո KαtRеаԁіոɡСаfе

Chi Xiaocheng, now thoroughly enjoying Su Tao’s sudden initiative, showed no trace of her earlier near-yandere state.

Her slightly narrowed eyes sparkled with amusement.

‘Hah, Tao-Tao is so naive. All I had to do was pretend to slip, and she took the bait.’

Meanwhile, Su Tao was torn between guilt and reluctant pleasure, silently apologizing to suppress her own emotions.

‘I’m sorry, Xiaocheng… I’m only pretending to like you, yet I’m doing this….’

Though their motives differed, both found themselves savoring the moment.

When Su Tao finally sensed the loli calming down, she pulled back, brushing her hair aside and wiping her lips.

Too embarrassed to meet Chi Xiaocheng’s gaze, she stammered: “S-Sorry, Xiaocheng, I… I….”

Her mind raced.

‘How do I explain that I was just trying to stop her from going full yandere?!’

Flustered, she blurted out: “I… couldn’t help myself.”

Chi Xiaocheng smiled. “If you couldn’t help it… then why not do it more?”

Her crimson eyes, now devoid of their earlier eerie intensity, shimmered with warmth.

Su Tao stiffened, unsure how to respond.

Desperate for an escape, she glanced toward the door, only to find a nurse standing there.

The nurse wore a mask, but her crinkled eyes left no doubt: she was grinning like a delighted fangirl.

Rеαd оn КαtRеaⅾiոɡCаfе

Meeting Su Tao’s gaze, the nurse waved. “Just passing by. Don’t mind me. Regular patient rooms don’t have cameras, so feel free~”

With a knowing smile, she considerately closed the door behind her and hung a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the handle.

The entire ordeal left Su Tao equal parts mortified and flustered.

Her earlier panic over handling Chi Xiaocheng paled in comparison to the heat now creeping up her ears.

She covered her face, too embarrassed to even look at Chi Xiaocheng.

Meanwhile, the girl who had pretended to spiral into yandere mode sat there perfectly composed.

After all this time interacting with Su Tao, this was the first time Chi Xiaocheng had seen her so shy.

Adorable.

Shyness was good. Shyness meant flustered attraction, and attraction led to affection. And once affection took root… love wasn’t far behind.

Half a month ago, Su Tao would never have entertained such feelings.

‘Oh, Tao-Tao… love sneaks up on you when you least expect it~’

Chi Xiaocheng didn’t rush her. She simply waited, letting Su Tao calm down.

Su Tao had strong mental resilience. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have endured so much pressure. Within about 30 seconds, she steadied herself.

Though her cheeks were still faintly pink, her voice was steady when she spoke: “Xiaocheng, let’s go back to what we were talking about earlier. About the orange juice… you have to listen to me, understand?”

“Okay~”

Chi Xiaocheng obediently handed her the knife.

Relieved that her “Kissing Therapy” had worked, and that Xiaocheng was now compliant, Su Tao let out a quiet breath.

Read оn ΚаtReaⅾіոɡСafе

She quickly took the knife and gestured for Chi Xiaocheng to extend her hand. “Then… just a little bit.”

Her goal wasn’t really to drink the “orange juice.” It was to control how much Chi Xiaocheng harmed herself.

This is necessary for her treatment. This is necessary for her treatment. This is necessary—

Repeating the mantra in her head, Su Tao clenched her teeth. Holding the knife in a reverse grip, her hand trembled slightly.

She glanced up nervously. “It’ll hurt a little.”

“Mhm~”

Still perfectly obedient.

Her gaze was expectant, almost eager.

Inhale… Exhale….

The tip of the blade touched Chi Xiaocheng’s fingertip.

Su Tao knew why she was doing this.

Not to drink, but to restrict.

This is necessary for her treatment. This is necessary for her treatment—

With a final mental push, she pressed down.

A tiny cut bloomed on the delicate skin.

A single drop of “orange juice” welled up.